Top 9 Iconic & Influential Ad Campaigns – Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of our list of the Top 9 Most Iconic and Influential Ad Campaigns. Be sure to check out Part 1 as well, ranking brands and their marketing campaigns from #9 through #5, discussing companies like Volkswagen, Budweiser, Old Spice and well, see for yourself.

#4 Apple – Get a Mac

There have been many great marketing campaigns by Apple, but this one takes the cake. The original commercial features two men standing side by side, one called PC and the other Mac. PC doesn’t look too good, he looks old and sick. He sneezes and requires multiple tissues to deal with the virus inside him, and eventually needs to crash (Are you watching, Microsoft?). Mac looks fine. He looks fresh, young and vibrant. By personifying the two computer systems, the general population was able to relate to the hilarious commercial. Also, who doesn’t enjoy a well-presented dig at a competitor. The company experienced 42% market share growth in its first year with this campaign. It is a good example of not needing to hit your audience over the head with specs, and using subtlety and humor to reach the public.

#3 Coca-Cola – Share a Coke

Big companies have to be creative when it comes to marketing their product, considering that the spotlight is on them and a failed campaign leads to a damaged public image. Coca-Cola’s groundbreaking stroke of genius allowed them to appeal to the masses, as well as individuals, putting their names on each bottle. The campaign started in Australia in 2011, where 150 of the most popular names in the country were printed on Coke bottles and cans in the typical Coca-Cola font. Custom bottles could be ordered on Coke’s website as well. The idea was picked up in the United States pretty soon after, and it was a breaking story across the marketing and advertising industry. Guessing which name you would get out of the vending machine was a huge thrill. Primarily, it encouraged you to “Share a Coke” with whoever’s name is on the front.

#2 California Milk Processor Board – Got Milk?

An advertising campaign doesn’t always have to be about acquiring a brand-new audience for your product or services. Just ask the California Milk Processor Board. They found a way to encourage their current audience to use and appreciate their products more often. The “Got Milk?” campaign saw a surge in milk sales in California by 7% in just one year. The influence raced across state and national borders, and to this day, one can’t escape the innumerable “Got _____ ?” parodies. Their audience turned into advocates of the brand.

#1 Nike – Just Do It

A long time ago, Nike’s products catered exclusively to marathon runners, until a fitness craze hit the United States. Nike’s marketing department realized that they had to take advantage of this fad in order to grow as a company, and surpass its primary rival, Reebok, who were selling more than Nike at the time. They released the ‘Just Do It’ campaign in the late 80s, and saw a drastic surge in sales over the next decade, from $800 million by ’88 to $9.2 billion by ’98. The slogan encapsulated all that people felt while they were working out. Don’t want climb up four flights of stairs? Just Do It. Don’t want to run ten kilometers’? Just Do It. Want to become a professional athlete? Just Do It. Hitting that core issue allows one to relate with consumers on an emotional level, and hence, the slogan lasts to this day, and is just as effective.

CIRCUIT 9ers

Our policy is to recruit amazing individuals with best-in-class skills and a passion for creative advertising. Prior to working for Circuit 9, all members of our team honed their skills at first-rate institutions, and then have gone on to develop their careers, working on high profile accounts at so-called ‘big’ advertising agencies.